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(address details below). A presentation and Q&A session will be held in English
and transferred via webcast (details for the webcast below).
Important events in the fourth quarter of 2019, in 2019 and year-to-date 2020:
ENGEBØ RUTILE AND GARNET PROJECT (100% ownership)
· Results of the definitive feasibility study published in January 2020
In January 2020, the Company published the results of the definitive feasibility
study (“DFS”) for the Engebø project. The updated study reinforces Engebø as a
world class rutile and garnet project and outlines the execution plan for the
project. The main results presented in the updated DFS were:
· Pre-tax NPV@8% USD 450 million
· Pre-tax IRR 21.9%
· Post-tax NPV@8% USD 344 million
· Post-tax IRR 19.8%
· Average annual free cashflow first 15 years of USD 70 million
· Net operating cashflow (undiscounted) of USD 2,160 million
· Initial capex of USD 311 million and deferred capex of USD 25 million
(underground)
· Pay-back period < 5 years
· Agreements on offtake and participation in construction financing
In January 2019, Nordic Mining signed a Heads of Agreement with a Japanese
trading house relating to long term offtake for rutile and participation with a
substantial portion of the construction financing for the Engebø project.
Offtake on rutile is complementary to the Heads of Agreement previously entered
into with the Barton Group relating to offtake for garnet in North America and
commercial cooperation in Europe. In September 2019, Nordic Mining announced an
expansion of the exclusive offtake arrangement of garnet to Barton to
additionally include the South America and Central America regions. Dialogues
with both parties are ongoing.
· Preparations for construction financing progressing
In January 2019, Nordic Mining entered into an agreement with Northcott Capital
Ltd for provision of financial advisorsy services for the debt financing of the
Engebø project. Lenders’ due diligence process has commenced and the activity
level relating to construciton financing will increase over the next months.
The Company has also appointed Clarksons Platou Securities and Sparebank 1
Markets as joint lead managers for construction financing.
· Detailed regulation plan approved
In August 2019, Naustdal municipality approved the detailed regulation plan. The
process for regulation of the water supply pipeline is ongoing, and a resolution
from the local municipalities is expected in the first part of 2020.
· Local municipalities support for operating license
The public hearing process regarding Nordic Mining’s application for operating
license for the Engebø project has ended and Askvoll and Naustdal
municipalities, as well as the new Sunnfjord municipality, supported the
application. The Directorate of Mining will consider the application together
with the input from the hearing process, and a license approval is expected in
the first quarter of 2020. The operating license will regulate operational
scope, methodology and procedures to secure safe and efficient production of the
mineral resources.
KELIBER LITHIUM PROJECT (18.5% ownership)
· Project update
In November 2019, Keliber presented a project update with a delay in start of
construction. Keliber’s revised estimate is for construction to commence in 2021
for a duration of over two years. Due to the changes in end-product and
production process to lithium hydroxide, additional technical and environmental
planning are required. In addition, updated market information for lithium
indicates that further optimization of the time schedule is desired. Keliber
will continue to advance the lithium project as planned in various fields
including further technical planning, permitting, ore potential and financing.
This also includes activities to improve and optimize the business case which
was outlined in the updated DFS published in February 2019.
· Recoveries in minerals processing improved
In November 2019, Keliber announced the results from a continuous pilot program
on the Syväjärvi ore minerals processing which improved the recovery rate to
exceed 88% compared to the 83.4% from the previous pilot-scale test program
conducted in 2016. In December 2019, Keliber announced that it had reached 96.9%
conversion degree in a continuous conversion pilot run using spodumene
concentrate produced from Syväjärvi lithium ore. The results exceed the 95%
degree applied in the Definite Feasibility Study published by Keliber in
February 2019.
· Ore reserve estimate for Keliber’s Rapasaari lithium deposit increased by
50%
In December 2019, Keliber announced that the ore reserve estimate for the
Rapasaari lithium deposit had been updated. Following the update, estimated
proven and probable ore reserves total 5.280 million tonnes with a grade of
1.07% Li?O. This represents an increase of 50% compared to the previous estimate
for Rapasaari. The total JORC 2012 compliant proven and probable lithium ore
reserves for Keliber is currently 9.372 million tonnes with a grade of 0.98%
Li?O.
· Underlying values substantiated
In February 2019, Keliber raised EUR 10 million from existing shareholders to
finance ongoing development work and other pre-construction activities. The
implied value in the capital raise exceeded the book value recorded by Nordic
Mining by NOK 98 million which was recognized as a gain in the consolidated
financial statements for the first quarter of 2019. During the fourth quarter,
Keliber made several positive announcements including increased mineral
resources, improved recoveries and increase in reserve estimates. However, it
also announced that its lithium project will be delayed by at least one year
compared to previous estimates. In addition, and despite a positive long-term
outlook, conditions for the global lithium market has softened due to weak spot
prices. This has adversely impacted Keliber’s progress on securing offtake
directly as well as driven down the general market sentiment/valuation. An
updated assessment as per 31 December 2019 (ref. note 3) valued Nordic Mining’s
holding of 18.5% of the outstanding shares in Keliber to NOK 91 million,
resulting in an impairment of NOK 25 million in the fourth quarter and a
reduction of the gain for the year to NOK 76 million including foreign exchange
effects. The gain is not subject to tax.
CORPORATE
· Equity issues completed
In January 2020, Nordic Mining completed an equity issue with gross proceeds of
NOK 57.4 million (ref. note 6). The Company also called for an extraordinary
general meeting to resolve on a subsequent share issue of up to 10 million new
shares directed towards existing shareholders. The proceeds will primarily be
used to finance the Engebø project until the construction financing has been
secured. This includes all activities relating to front-end engineering and
design (FEED) and to secure a financing package.
In May and October 2019, Nordic Mining completed equity issues with combined
gross proceeds of NOK 62.5 million (ref. note 5). In total, approximately 38
million shares were issued. The use of proceeds was primarily for the continued
development of the Engebø rutile and garnet project through the completion of
the DFS and into the Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) phase.
The fourth quarter presentation will be held today, Tuesday 11 February 2020 at
10:00 (CET) in Nordic Mining’s office at Vika Atrium, Munkedamsveien 45
(Entrance A, 5th floor), N-0250 Oslo.
The presentation and Q&A session will be held in English and transferred via
webcast. You will have the opportunity to post questions online throughout the
webcast session. The webcast will be available on:
https://channel.royalcast.com/webcast/hegnarmedia/20200211_5/
For further information, please contact CFO Birte Norheim, telephone +47
-95293321.
Oslo, 11 February 2020
Nordic Mining ASA
Nordic Mining ASA (www.nordicmining.com)
Nordic Mining ASA (“Nordic Mining” or “the Company”) is a resource company with
focus on high-end industrial minerals and metals. The Company’s project
portfolio is of high international standard and holds a significant economic
potential. The Company’s assets are in the Nordic region.
Nordic Mining is undertaking a large-scale project development at Engebø on the
west coast of Norway where the Company has rights and permits to a substantial
eclogite deposit with rutile and garnet. Nordic Mining also holds 18.5% of the
shares in Keliber Oy, which is developing a lithium project in Finland to become
the first European producer of battery grade lithium hydroxide.
In addition, Nordic Mining holds interests in other initiatives at various
stages of development. This includes patented rights for a new technology for
production of alumina and exploration of seabed minerals.
Nordic Mining is listed on Oslo Axess with ticker symbol “NOM”.
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